GERMANY'S GIANT ZEPPELIN

Shannon News, 8 June 1928, Page 4

GERMANY'S GIANT ZEPPELIN

THE LZI27 AND ITS CREATOR,

Germany -will lead the world in. airship development if Dr Eckener's hopes for the giant Zeppelin, now Hearing completion are fulfilled (writes the Berlin correspondent of the 'Observer'). A party of foreign and German journalists, by invitation of the directors, has just visited the works at Friedrichshaven. One was reminded of a similar Press pilgrimage which preceded the flight of Germany's last great airship, the ZR3, to America. But whereas there was a certain wistfulness about that visit—the ship at that time still bore its German name, LZ-: 126—-the great silver skeleton of its successor, the LZI27, is the centre of;, an exulting nation's hopes. Dr Eckener almost fanatically believ-; I es in the future of the Zeppelin, and: neither Germany's need for economy, a sceptic Government, nor a public that;, needed persistent wooing, have deter-s red him from agitating for funds. Hei hopes by the early summer to make'; test flights over Friedrichshaven, to' cruise over Germany, and show the people what they have subscribed for.; His intense belief in his mission even! secured a small subsidy from the State;

LZI27 is the outward and visible; sign of Germany's freedom from post--war trammels. It is just half as large, again as LZI2G by the' Americans ZR3—which crossed tho At-I-lantie throe year* ago. The length is 235 metres, and the greatest width; 30.5 metres. Five Mayback engines of 400 h;p wil) again be used, but the type has been improved in several respects.; The men who navigated the LZI26 will; again be available, a fact which Dr.' Eckener considers of great importance.; Luxurious Cabins. The ship has a range of 14,000 kilometres. There are ten passenger; cabins with accommodation for twenty; people. The cabins are fitted with! every conceivable device for comfort.' The vessel can also carry mails and' freight to the extent of fifteen torn. No attempt was made to build a; larger frame, as that would have neces-* sitated the construction of a new; building shed. There was, it will be: remembered, considerable bitterness ins Germany that ZE3 could not make uses of the building to its fullest extent; owing to the" restrictions on German! aircraft laid down by tho London ulti-j matum. A .slight concession in sizes was made When it was known that ship was destined for America. This! lime expediency alone has determinedj the size and carrying capacity. j A certain amount of pleasure hasj been shown in Friedriehshafen by thef invitation of the American navy to J visit the New World, and the offer of j facilities for making * the journey asj safe and as easy as possible. }

Dr. Eckener states that> he has asj yet no fixed plans. He wants to show? the world how much the LZI27 can J accomplish, but mooring masts and 5 safe ports are necessary. He has anJ idea, whieh may possibly materialise,of flying to Tokio, where there is a; goo'd shed, and then on to America, = where San Diego offers good facilities-; for landing. Although the idea of regular passen-< ger and commercial transport to South; America looms behind all airship con- i struction, there is as yet no possibility; of making a flight to the Argentine, > ] where the construction of the shed hash not begun. But as the Spanish Gov- j eminent has given guarantees that, j! once built, it will be made use of, it | is expected that a flight to South j America may take place next year. j Air Traffic of the Future. I

The LZI27 will use hydrogen gas for fuel. The expense and scarcity of helium rule it out of count in Germany. It is considered, too, at Friedriehshafen that the dangers of hydrogeu gas are not greater than those which threaten the average household using oidinary gas for domestic purposes. Ordinary care prevents extraordinary accidents. The Germans point out that only one case of an airship being strucli by lightning has been recorded, and that the facts of the case are by no means certain.

To reduce the danger of accidents m landing, and to keep down expense, a process has been patented at Friedriehshafen which permits of a certain quantity of air being admitted and regulated during the flight. This will keep tthe ship steady and at the altitude desired by the navigator. High hopes are being built on this new pro cess, which has not bee/ used before. Germany is proceeding in the air "step by step," as the aeronautical humourists have it, and this particular step towards economy and safety is regarded with some -pride.

Air traffic in the future, according to German ideas, 'will be resolved entirely on a meteorological basis. As regards tlio comparative slowness of airships, it is pointed out this is mainly when progress is being made against strong head winds. Therefore, as in the sailing-ship days, routes will va*y according to the wiffds. Journeys from Europe to America would take a southerly route; from , America to Europe a northerly. Weather records •which have been kept for some years past form a basis .for planning these routes. Tnese records eon lidered to be of great value.